Author's Note

This is a chapter featuring young ponies. You have been warned.
It is also a chapter featuring a lot of story before the clop. You have been double warned.

Interlude 4: Invitations

Wet Hot Equestrian Summer was not a good movie. Apple Bloom didn't think it would have been even, in Diamond's words, tolerable, had she watched it alone. Fortunately, Diamond's cutting remarks, which had so often tormented Apple Bloom mere months ago, proved much easier to appreciate when directed at the movie, which was in no position to be harmed. Throughout the whole thing, Diamond Tiara pressed her muzzle up against Apple Bloom's ear, providing a steady stream of hilarious commentary. The feel of her lips was also, incidentally, quite distracting. By the time the movie was reaching the home stretch, Apple Bloom felt like she couldn't possibly contain her laughter if the commentary went on, so she gave in to the other distraction instead, and kissed Diamond. After a moment of surprise, she kissed back, and they spent the last part of the movie making out. All in all, Apple Bloom thought it was a more respectful outcome than bursting out laughing in the public theater.

And the kissing was pretty nice too.

They spent much of the walk to La Pasteure in laughter, though, as Diamond recalled some of the more shameful moments in the film with gusto, and Apple Bloom enjoyed the ability to laugh about them as much as she liked without disturbing anypony else. As they neared the restaurant, though, both fillies grew quiet. Apple Bloom didn't know why Diamond became more reticent, but for herself she was worried. Talking to Diamond about the movie was easy, but what would they say beyond that? They'd been enemies until very recently, and even now Diamond's strange behavior before and during sex made her unsure what they were. What were they going to talk about in a fancy restaurant?

Worried, she pressed her flank closer against Diamond's, and the other filly pressed back. So they walked close the rest of the way, and Apple Bloom felt comforted. Still, Diamond remained subdued, and nopony said much until they'd placed their dinner orders. Finally, after the serving pony left, Diamond looked up and cleared her throat.

"So, uh, I've been meaning to ask," Apple Bloom could detect the awkwardness, "did you really just ask me out because you think you might get to like me?"

Apple Bloom stared at her, confused. "Uh, sure? I mean, we did just," she looked around the extremely classy decor, "well, you know, in the classroom. I feel like if I'm gonna do that with somepony I wanna know them better. 'Sides, why else would I? Sure, you're hot, but so're Scoots and Sweetie and they're my PFFs. Uh, with benefits. Not like I'm hard up or anything."

Diamond stared at her for a long while, then laughed.

"You really have no idea, do you?" Apple Bloom felt a chill go over her, but neither the laugh nor the tone were nasty as she'd expect. "I can't imagine you can lie that well, what with your sister and all. You never even thought of the money, did you? Not like all those others."

"What do you mean, all those others?"

"It wasn't always just me and Spoon," Diamond sighed. "A few years before I got my mark, I had lots of friends. Then when I got a little older, I realized they always wanted to spend time at my house, playing with my toys. They never invited me over. So I asked a few times, and they always had excuses! They didn't really like me, they just liked that I was rich. Silver Spoon's the only one who got it, she had the same problem."

Apple Bloom felt bad for Diamond, but inside the part of her that liked cracking a difficult potion recipe did a little cheer as she felt like a bit of the mystery unraveled.

"That's rough, Diamond, I'm real sorry," she said slowly, "but, uh...can I suggest a uh, alternate theory?"

Diamond looked up sharply, then seemed to force herself to soften. "I wouldn't have asked you here if I didn't want hear what you had to say."

"I think you might be looking at that the wrong way 'round."

"Go on."

"Well, no, look. Foals are jerks sometimes, we all were. Heck, it weren't long ago the three of us fed my brother and Ms Cheerilee a love poison! So I'm sure some of 'em really were taking advantage. But think about it from their side. We weren't ever friendly back then so I've only seen the outside, but your house is huge. And I bet you have all the nice, new toys, right?"

"Of course. Barnyard Bargains carries most of them, so Daddy got a lot of samples."

"Right, well, growing up, I had more toys that were as old as Granny than toys that were younger than me. And there's no place in our whole farmhouse where more than two fillies could play together and have much space. I bet lots of other foals around here were about the same. How do you think they'd feel, having somepony like you over to play? It's like...taking Princess Celestia for hayburgers! Or worse, 'cause these hayburgers were cooked a hundred years ago. Or at least, lots of ponies'd worry about that."

Diamond stared at her. Finally she laughed again, but Apple Bloom thought it was covering a small sob.

"I think you might be right," she said slowly. "And you could have told me years ago. But instead I was a huge jerk."

"Hey now," Apple Bloom reached her foreleg across the table to rest it gently on Diamond's barrel. "Like I said, we all did dumb stuff when we were younger. Probably will do a lot more now we're older. No use getting upset about it. 'Sides, we're all still young. You're right, we didn't get on, but now we're here on a date. And I'd be happy to have another. No reason you can't patch things up with others too."

"You're right," Diamond said, bringing her own foreleg down to touch Apple Bloom's, making her shiver. "Uh, that's another thing, though. Are they going to hate me even more for seducing you? Aren't you three like, together?"

Apple Bloom laughed. "Don't be silly, I talked to 'em before I even made those potions. Don't get me wrong, I love those girls, I always will. We're friends forever. And I'm sure I'll keep fooling around with 'em too, they're hot mares and we care about each other. But they're the couple. I'm not extra or anything, but they got their marks together, and they work perfectly together. If we go out, we'll be a couple. I'll just sometimes hook up with them, is all, if we feel like it. I bet you could too, if you patch things up."

Diamond laughed, this time more freely.

"Well, I guess I was upset no one wanted to share their toys with me."

Apple Bloom was almost offended by Diamond calling her friends 'toys', and would have been if her tone had been at all mocking, but it was light, and Apple Bloom realized that if it was a joke at anyone's expense, it was Diamond's own. As she realized it, she laughed too.

Then their food came, and it was delicious, and they ate in companionable silence. And as the meal ended, Apple Bloom thought of Diamond's old concern.

"Hey," she said, "I dunno who asked who out, but wanna walk me home?"

"Sure."

So they walked in the beautifully clear, pleasingly crisp late fall, through nighttime Ponyville, to Sweet Apple Acres. Somewhere Apple Bloom remembered that Diamond had suggested they might have sex, if the date went well, but she found herself content. She'd admit that it wouldn't take much from her companion to make her say yes, but the night was chilly, and she had a lot to think about, and wasn't interested in pressing the issue right now.

Something about the evening made silence easy, but Diamond pressed her flank and barrel close as they walked, and Apple Bloom found it filled her with warmth, even if not of a directly sexual nature. Then they crested the last hill and Sweet Apple Acres lay spread out before them, farmhouse aglow with lights.

"You love it, don't you?" Diamond Tiara said.

"It's home. I don't love it like Applejack does. I could see going away, maybe, if I had a good enough reason. But it's home. I've got roots here, you know? I'll always love it, like," she was treading into dangerous ground, and felt her mind skitter away, "like family."

"I don't love my manor," Diamond said. "It's a home, not home. I know Earth Ponies are supposed to have roots, ties to the land, whatever, but I don't, not there." She was quiet for a long while, and Apple Bloom didn't know what to say. Luckily Diamond didn't seem to mind, and eventually went on. "Maybe that's why I wanted to visit other ponies. Try to figure out what it's like. I'd have liked to visit here." She snorted. "Listen to me going on. Sorry."

"It's okay," Apple Bloom managed. "I asked you out to learn more about you, remember?"

"I thought it was to get your dick back in me," Diamond grinned.

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. "What with how you were carrying on at school, I think I could've done that anyway."

"Yeah, you could," Diamond said. "But uh, do you mind if we say we'll do that next time? Tonight just doesn't feel like the right time, I don't-"

Apple Bloom cut her off with a gentle kiss, before she could get too awkward apologizing. She kissed back.

"I was thinking the same thing. 'Sides, we don't want Granny hearing us and coming out to yell at us." They both shuddered. Then Diamond kissed her again.

"Do you want to do this again?"

"Yep."

"I'm busy the next few days, and I think Daddy had something for me to do too," she said, "I'll let you know soon when I'll have time."

"Alright." Apple Bloom kissed her again. "Thanks for going out with me. I had a good time."

"Me too. Goodnight, Apple Bloom." The soft way Diamond said her name made her shiver a bit.

"Goodnight, Diamond Tiara." They kissed one more time, then Diamond walked off into the night. She swished her tail aside just a bit, and Apple Bloom saw a tiny trail of her own semen on Diamond's marehood.

The sight nearly made her call out, but she decided against it, and went to bed.

The next day was a weekend, and found Apple Bloom helping out at the stall in the market, a new duty now that she had her cutie mark. It was a busy day, leaving her little time to think on anything, and the hours flew by until she broke for lunch. She wandered the other stalls, gathering an assortment of produce to eat at one of the market's picnic tables. The fall harvests were delicious, and she was busy enough savoring them to pay little mind when another pony sat down beside her - sharing the tables wasn't rare on such busy market days.

"Good afternoon, Apple Bloom," Filthy Rich said, nearly making her spit-take. She managed to swallow in good order, and took a long drink of water to clear her throat.

"Afternoon, Rich," she managed. "How're you?"

"I'm well, thank you," he said. "But I did hear something interesting from my friends at La Pasteure. Did you and Diamond Tiara eat dinner there yesterday?"

"Uh, yes sir," she said, suddenly gripped with a chill.

Rich's eyes narrowed. "What's the story there? Why?"

"Uh, well, I kinda asked her out to a movie, sir. And she said yes, but only if we went to dinner after."

"Wait," Rich's expression changed to something Apple Bloom couldn't interpret. "You asked her out? I thought you two didn't get along."

Apple Bloom swallowed. "Well, it's complicated sir. I don't...are you angry at me?"

But Rich broke into a grin. "Angry? Oh, Celestia, no! I was worried she'd blackmailed you, or something awful like that! If you're getting on with her better, it gives me hope she'll learn to be a good pony yet! Maybe you can get through where I've never been able to. This is wonderful news!" He slowed down. "Err that is, I hope it is. Was it a successful trip?"

"Oh yeah," she said, and relief washed over her, "we had a great time. We're gonna go again, I think, when she figured out her schedule."

"Wonderful, wonderful! You've always been such a nice filly, she's very lucky," Rich said, then laughed. "And best of all, I don't even have to give you the scary talk about protection! No risk there!"

"Oh no sir, I make all the potions myself, I'm sure they're safe!" It took Apple Bloom only a fraction of a second to realize that her bubbling relief at Rich's approval had betrayed her. Sadly no potion, or other magic, could take back words even so recently said.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Oh, horseapples. Look, uh, Rich, I didn't mean to say that. Do you really wanna hear this?"

Rich looked like he might not. "My daughter's health is very important, I need to know if she's at risk," he said sternly.

Apple Bloom couldn't fault him for this, in fact realized she basically approved, but had really been hoping he'd say no. "Uh, well," she felt like her coat was going to light on fire, "I kinda make a potion that...gives me stallion bits. She really likes it. But it's safe, it's all sterile! I did the recipe myself."

Rich, to her shock, was also flushed, but there was a sudden strange gleam in his eyes.

"Well, uh, that's good then. But, you say you made this potion yourself?"

"Well, it was a spell Sweetie Belle did first, and I only made the potion to, you know, make it safe," she said. "But yeah, once I knew how she was doing it, it was pretty easy to make a potion that did the same thing."

"Wait, so you're saying you can make a contraceptive potion, and a studding potion, or combine them?"

"Sure. I don't think this has to do with Diamond's safety though, I told you it's safe."

"Oh yes, I believe you," Rich waved a hoof, "and I'm glad you fillies are having fun I suppose," here he blushed again, "but no, I'm talking about my second greatest love, business. How much of this potion can you make?"

"Well, I guess it takes a few hours to brew. But I could probably refine it to make the dose smaller. And other than that...how big's your cauldron? But what's the big deal? Zecora makes lots of weird potions, and it's a spell any unicorn can do."

"My dear," Rich said, "Zecora is a great talent, but she makes small amounts of potions, at great personal risk. She rarely has more than a few bottles of anything per month. And even so, I have never seen her sell a studding potion. And what Earth Ponies or pegasi want to hire a unicorn for, uh, bedroom use? It seems you can make this without dangerous trips to the Everfree. And in large enough quantities to use it whenever you like. This is a rare gift."

"Well, it is my cutie mark."

"I can see why! But all three of these potions would be tremendously popular in our housewares section at Barnyard Bargains. Our families have been in business since the founding of Ponyville. If you could make enough of this for me to sell - say, twenty or thirty doses a week at a start - I believe we could do very well for ourselves, Apple Bloom."

"Oh," Apple Bloom thought about it. "Oh. Yeah, I bet if I changed the recipe I could do that many doses in my cauldron. Can I have a bit of time to think about it? And work on the recipe?"

"Of course, my dear! No pressure at all. But well, your mark isn't about apples. Everypony needs a living, and I think this could be a generous living indeed. Why don't you join Diamond and I for dinner? Say, in three days? Is that long enough? We can talk business over the meal, and I'm sure you wouldn't mind seeing her after."

"Sure," Apple Bloom said slowly, "that sounds nice."

So Apple Bloom found herself trotting up to the Rich mansion several days later, saddlebags full of potion samples. She'd worked hard to refine the recipe, and Diamond's prior plans had kept them from doing much more than exchanging a few words and a quick kiss at school, so she'd barely seen her. But it had payed off. The three potions she'd produced were much more concentrated, a dose fitting in a vial with total volume less than a shotglass, without a loss of safety or use of dangerous-to-obtain ingredients. She'd done extensive research, and even managed to get Twilight to do some magical analysis on the final results to confirm they'd worked as intended. (While she could of course test the studding potion on herself, verifying the fertility and contraception factors experimentally would have been impractical for several obvious reasons.)

She'd also made sure to ask Twilight what the ingredients she'd used in the potion actually cost. While Twilight was glad to give her ingredients to learn on, or for her own personal use, she wanted to make sure she knew what the potion really cost. Even if Twilight would let her, she didn't want to use the Princess's ingredients to turn a profit.

She felt heavy as she prepared to raise the ornate door knocker. Partly due to the potions, but mostly due to the several things she felt were riding on the dinner.

Diamond opened the door. Apple Bloom swallowed. She looked like she always had, but now that meant something totally different. Apple Bloom thought she was beautiful.

"Hey," she kissed her.

"Hey yourself. You look nervous. Don't worry, Daddy likes you. It'll be okay."

"Thanks."

Together they went in to the big dining table. The mansion's dining room wasn't actually larger than the whole downstairs of the Sweet Apple Acres farmhouse, Apple Bloom was pretty sure, but it sure seemed it. The grand entertaining table was empty; Rich sat at a smaller one off to one side, set for three. He grinned as they came in, and her nervousness abated somewhat, even if it didn't entirely dissipate.

Apple Bloom was ready to talk immediately, but being unsure how to act in this kind of situation, took her cue from Diamond and Rich, both of whom ate the generous meal - brought by a serving pony - in silence. Only when they'd finished the desert course did Rich lean back.

"Thank you, Humble Servant," he told the serving pony, who nodded at him. "Give Wood Fire our regards, it was excellent, as always." Humble Servant left, and Rich turned to Apple Bloom. "Now then, business. What have you come up with?"

Apple Bloom removed one each of her little sample vials from her saddlebag and carefully put them on the counter. They were simple glass vials with colored lids - one green, one blue, and one yellow.

"The green one's the contraceptive," she said, "the blue's the sterile studding potion, and the yellow's the 'live' one."

"And you're quite sure they work?"

"Yeah. I'd uh, show you now, but they kinda make it..." she trailed off and blushed, but Rich just looked confused. "Once you take one it's real uncomfortable if you don't use it, you know?" Rich colored himself then, and nodded.

"Mmmm, indeed, I could see that being a problem. But you have tested them?"

"Of course! Well, I don't want to get somepony pregnant so I didn't test that bit, but I had Twilight use some of her lab stuff to make sure."

"The word of the Princess is more than good enough for me, of course," Rich said. "These are small vials - each is a full dose? How many can you make in one go?"

"I guess probably about a hundred of these."

Rich's eyes widened. "That is better than I expected. I think we have a great opportunity here, Apple Bloom, assuming you can make them affordable. How much do the ingredients cost?"

"Fifty bits for the herbs and stuff for a batch," she said, "plus whatever the vials cost. I'd want to get labels for 'em too, and make sure they had instructions, you know."

"Don't you just drink the whole thing and, err, enjoy?"

"Well sure, but we'd wanna be clear about which one was which, how long it lasts, things like that. We wouldn't want anypony to panic. The studding ones last a long time if you don't use 'em, so we'd want to make sure we said that in case somepony drank one and then their partner panicked, or just if somepony took one on a dare or whatever. And I couldn't get the contraceptive bit of the combined potion to last exactly as long as the studding bit, so if somepony took one and didn't use it for a few hours, even the 'safe' one might stop being safe. There are lots of little things like that. And we'd want a logo and stuff so might as well put all the details on the back, right?"

"Ah, yes, well, I do agree in any case, and there's a print shop in town that should be good for the task, I believe they do the labels for the Zap Apple Jam you sell on to other markets. Fifty bits for the whole batch is very cheap, though, better than I expected. As for the other things you mention, it'll cost a bit to design them, but the vials with labels are likely to be fifty to a bit after that, they're all easily mass produced these days. Now tell me, Apple Bloom - how much are you hoping to make on this product?"

"Shoot," she said, "I don't need much, I'm still in school. Bits're great, but it seems like everypony could enjoy this, and I wouldn't want ponies to get priced out when it's so easy to make."

"Hear, hear," Rich said. "That's the philosophy that made Barnyard Bargains what it is, you know. And if you wanted to make more, it sounds like you could step up production. So, here's what I propose. Sell each vial for ten bits. That's cheap enough for most ponies to get without much trouble."

"That is pretty cheap," Apple Bloom said, "but that's still a thousand bits for a batch that just costs me fifty-two or so to make."

"Remember none of us will keep all that ourselves," Rich said. "It's not an unusual markup. For most of the things we sell, the pony or company that makes it keeps about 30% of the sale price, the one that ships it around Equestria takes 30%, and the one that sells it takes about 40%. That's because selling it is usually more expensive - renting shop space is a lot more expensive than renting warehouse space, and so forth. So if you were to pay somepony to distribute your potion to shops, you'd make about three hundred bits on each batch, or right about two hundred fifty profit. You said it takes a few hours to brew, so you're making, what, a hundred twenty five an hour?"

Apple Bloom's eyes widened. "That's a whole lot of bits!"

Rich shrugged. "In my opinion, it's what the market will bear. Besides, I have a feeling these will be popular. Unless you want to really go into business with this right now, pricing it cheaper might only frustrate ponies. Say you made them five bits each. You'd make fifty bits an hour, which as you say is still a good wage, but they'd probably sell out within a day. At that rate, ponies who plan to use them will buy several, just to have them in case, because they're such a bargain. Ponyville is full of mares, many of whom are married to or dating mares. You'd have to make a batch every day, or a lot of ponies that wanted it wouldn't be able to get it. Maybe someday you'll want to make that much, but if you do, you'll be looking at selling outside Ponyville, and so forth. And if you're serious about this, and it's as successful as I think it will be, you'll want to expand to other towns. Hundreds of bits is a lot for a young mare living at home, but it's nothing for a growing business. Does that make sense?"

Apple Bloom thought it over for a while. It was a lot of information, and she was a little afraid Rich was taking advantage of her. She looked over at Diamond, who smiled at her, and she felt a little better.

"It sounds reasonable," she said. "I didn't think ponies would want this stuff that much."

"I believe they will," Rich said. "And I have grown my family fortune by knowing what ponies will and will not buy. Even at ten bits, you may have to make a batch once every two or three days for Ponyville alone."

"Okay," Apple Bloom said, "but you said it'd cost something to design the labels and bottles. I don't know much about that stuff."

"Well, fortunately, you have my expertise. I would be happy to be your business partner in this, if we can come to an agreeable deal. Now I was thinking--"

At this point Diamond got up and whispered for a while in her father's ear before returning to her seat.

"Yes, well," Rich said, "seeing as how Diamond has just reminded me that she is quite fond of you, and that our families have had a long and lucrative business history, I will be direct. I believe you have a gold mine on your hooves, Ms Bloom, and that if you manage it wisely, you have the opportunity to create a powerful Equestrian brand. Barnyard Bargains would benefit from being on the ground floor of that, so I would like to invest in you, and give you the best chance to succeed. So I will offer you the following deal, which you should think about for at least a week. I will let you use my legal team free of charge. They will help you set up all the nonsense you need to begin a business, and so forth. I will also hire a local design pony to put together your labels and the like and cover those costs. In exchange, we will split all proceeds from sales in the Barnyard Bargains Ponyville location fifty-fifty, since no distribution will be necessary. I suggest you keep no more than 20% for yourself and invest the rest so as to be ready if you want to grow. In exchange, you'll agree that, if and when you decide to expand beyond Ponyville, you will use Barnyard Bargains as your distributor for at least the first ten years of the business. We have a network of ponies that deliver things to our other store locations, and already distribute some other products, like your family's apples, for instance. We'd of course agree not to exploit this by taking a larger cut than you could get from other distributors, I just want to make sure I get my initial investment back when you go national. I'm sure my lawyers can work out the details to our satisfaction."

Apple Bloom swallowed. She'd come in expecting to get some pocket money selling a few batches of potions through Barnyard Bargains, kind of like a lemonade stand. But now Rich was talking about selling all over Equestria, founding a company - about being a grown up. Then she realized she had a cutie mark. Even if she wasn't done with school, she was a young mare in the eyes of the law. And she'd never really thought about how she'd make a living, but this sounded like it might be quite a living indeed.

"I'll have to think about it, like you said," she said slowly. "This sounds...big."

"I understand," Rich said. "You're young, and it is a lot. And I'm much more experienced, and while I do honestly mean to offer you a good deal, I'm comfortable in this world while you are not yet. Take your time. Talk to your sister and her friends. Applejack has a good head for numbers, running that farm so well, and Rarity more so. I wouldn't let you agree to anything now. But I'll write out the details and have them ready for you when you leave in the morning."

"In the morning?" Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara spoke at once.

"Well, you can come back if you'd like, I suppose," Rich shrugged. "But I thought you might like to stay the night. After all, you two are close."

Apple Bloom wasn't entirely sure she believed what she was hearing.

"Are you really saying..." she didn't even know how to ask.

"I was young too once," Rich laughed, "hard though it is to believe. And don't you remember how I found out about these potions? If you'd like to stay, I'm glad to have you, but of course Diamond would also have to agree."

"N-no," Diamond said, "of course if you want to stay, Bloom, that'd be...fine." She looked at Apple Bloom. She didn't smile, and Apple Bloom couldn't read her expression at all. She looked distressed, but at the idea of her staying, or not? Apple Bloom cocked her head.

"Please stay," Diamond mouthed, looking only at Apple Bloom. Bloom's mouth went dry.

"Alright," she said, "thanks. I will stay. It's a real nice house you have anyway, thanks for inviting me."

"It's no problem at all," Rich said, "you are always welcome, my dear. I'm so glad you and Diamond have patched things up. And please believe me when I tell you that will be true even if you decide not to go into business with me. It's a big thing, and not for everypony. I won't blame you if you'd rather work on the farm with your siblings." Deep inside, Apple Bloom didn't really feel like that was what she wanted, though. "In any case," Rich rose, "I'm going to go write that up, unless you're sure you want to turn it down."

"Oh no," Apple Bloom said, "I'm sure I'm interested, at least. I'd love to get the details written out."

Rich smiled. "Very well then, I'll have them for you tomorrow. Have a nice night, both of you." And he walked over to Diamond and kissed her on the head before leaving, the sound of his hooves echoing in the cavernous dining room.

Diamond still had a strange expression, and seemed to be breathing heavily. Apple Bloom hurried over and nuzzled up against her.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Diamond took a deep breath. "It's nothing. I'll...want to see my room?"

Apple Bloom resolved not to let the point go for good, but decided that the vast dining room was a bit impersonal. She nodded. "Sure!"

They walked up two sets of stairs and through a complicated enough series of turns that Apple Bloom wasn't sure she'd have been able to find the room again on her own, but eventually arrived in a quite cozy bedroom. It was bigger than her own at the farm, of course, but not dauntingly vast like the dining room. She wasn't sure what she was expecting it to look like. A few months ago, she'd likely have said a dark evil lair filled with torches and skulls.

As it turned out, though, it was...boring. Everything was pink, nearly the same shade as Diamond, and covered in the heart shapes that graced most Equestrian designs. Everything was new, and fancy, and clearly expensive, but Apple Bloom thought it looked like Rich could put most of it up for sale in Barnyard Bargains and nopony would know it had ever been used.

Diamond went over to the bed - Princess sized - and flopped down. Apple Bloom shrugged off her saddlebag onto a chair before joining her.

"Hey," she said, "come on, talk to me, what's wrong?"

"I really like you," Diamond said, her eyes full of tears, "but I wish..." she sobbed, then spoke very softly, "I wish he liked you a bit less."

"Huh?"

"No, that's not it, I just wish he liked me as much," now tears were streaking down the fur on the side of her muzzle. "Ever since I got this stupid mark I've been learning all that money stuff, hoping he'd stop being disappointed in me, but he just talked about it more with you in that one meal than he has with me all my life. I don't know what I'm doing wrong..."

Apple Bloom realized she'd inadvertently stepped into something bigger than one dinner. She sighed, and climbed up on the bed and settled down next to Diamond, resting her head on the other filly's back.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it like that. He just wants to make more money selling my stuff..."

Diamond sobbed. "I know, I know, I'm trying! I don't want to be jealous of you, it's just not fair! Ever since I got my mark...I really hoped it was changing, then..."

"What do you mean?"

"I guess I never told you," she said, "this tiara," she lowered her head and let if fall between her forelegs where it sat, glittering. "He gave it to me on my birthday. It was my, my mother's. She wore it at their wedding. He told me he wanted me to have it. I was so happy! I thought I'd finally done something to make him proud. But then after my cute-ceañera it was just back to the same thing! He just always seemed so disappointed..."

Apple Bloom knew Diamond Tiara wasn't stupid, but even she had picked up on the fact that Rich's disappointment wasn't based on his daughter's failures as a business pony, but rather her being insufferable. But it didn't seem entirely the appropriate time to say that in so many words. So she decided to make a connection to a previous issue.

"Look," she said carefully, "maybe this is like the thing with the invitations. Have you talked to him about it and heard what he has to say? Maybe you two are just having a misunderstanding. I don't talk to him much, but just from talking in the market and hearing him tonight I know he cares about you. So maybe it's something else."

Diamond didn't say anything, and leaned against her and cried. She leaned back and rested her chin on Diamond's head, and just was near her. Finally she sniffled, and the tears seemed to clear up a bit.

"I wish I'd given you a chance earlier," she sighed. "You're probably right. I'll talk to him tomorrow." But she made no move to leave Apple Bloom's embrace.

"Good idea." They sat in silence for a long time. "Hey," Apple Bloom said, perking up, "you want to be my partner?" Diamond Tiara raised her brows. "Err, no, that came out wrong. My business partner! You said you'd been studying up on that stuff, right? Well I haven't, and if your dad's right this is gonna be a big thing. I'll need somepony who knows her numbers."

"But I'm his daughter," she said. "How do you know I'll give you good advice?"

"I trust you."

Diamond Tiara spluttered. "Why? How? I was wretched to you for years! Until what, two weeks ago? Sure, we had a nice date, and some really nice sex, but all of a sudden you trust me?"

"Yep."

"You're impossible," Diamond Tiara sighed, and kissed her on the lips.

It was a long kiss, and Apple Bloom's head was spinning by the end of it.

"Am I wrong to trust you."

Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes. "Somehow, I don't think so. But I'd say that even if you were."

Apple Bloom shrugged, and kissed her again, harder. Diamond rolled on to her back, and Apple Bloom pressed down against her, their belly fur rubbing together as they made out. Finally Diamond broke the kiss.

"Let's get ready for bed," she said. "If we do much more of this, I'm not going to want to leave."

Apple Bloom wasn't shocked that Diamond's room had its own bathroom. She was slightly shocked that she had a spare toothbrush, never used, just in case of company.

"Do you get a lot of unplanned sleepovers?" She asked.

"This is my first," Diamond said, "but Daddy says to always be prepared to be a good host."

Apple Bloom just shook her head, and they took turns brushing their teeth and washing their faces in the beautiful marble sink.

After, they flopped back down on the bed, and picked up where they left off. Both fillies tasted slightly of toothpaste still, and they giggled when they kissed again. Apple Bloom realized she'd never had sex with Diamond without her weird power fantasies before. She couldn't deny she found them hot, but there was a little flutter in her breast at the thought of being more tender, so she decided not to mention it unless her lover did. Instead she kissed her, and gently ran her legs along Diamond's belly and legs, touching ever closer to her sex. Diamond shivered. Finally she rested her hindleg between Diamond's, feeling the dampness on her hoof, and the increased urgency in the kiss. She herself was also dripping.

Diamond leaned over and pulled a blue-capped bottle from Apple Bloom's saddlebags.

"Do you mind if I try it?" She asked quietly.

Apple Bloom shook her head. "Go ahead," she said, her throat suddenly dry.

Diamond bit off the cap and drained the bottle in one go. Both fillies looked curiously between her legs, and out of nowhere the cock appeared. It was all pink, just like Diamond's coat, and thicker and a bit longer than the one Apple Bloom grew to rut her, with the characteristic heavy balls of the studding spell.

"Wow," Diamond said, "can you really take the whole thing?"

"The potion should make it just the right size for me," Apple Bloom said, licking her lips, "if I can't, I messed up the recipe."

Diamond giggled. "Daddy did say you should test it. Lie down."

Apple Bloom lay on her back, looking up at Diamond's beautiful face, then down at her massive cock. She spread her legs and winked with her dripping sex. She expected Diamond to take her as she'd wanted to be taken, quick and hard, and felt a little shiver of desire at the thought.

Instead, though, Diamond lay on top of her gently, covering her completely, and rested the tip of her shaft right at Apple Bloom's entrance as she kissed her tenderly.

"Can I tell you a secret?" She asked.

"Of course."

"Well, first, something that isn't a secret," her tone was light and conversational, but between every word she gave Apple Bloom's muzzle a peck, and by the time she finished the sentence, her tip was inside, making Bloom gasp. "It makes me so hot when you 'take advantage' of me. I hope you bring lots of these potions of yours to school next week, because I want you to do me everywhere. I've been horny ever since our date thinking about it." Apple Bloom was panting involuntarily. Diamond had been slowly pressing into her for the whole time she was speaking, and now her medial ring was pressing up against the lips of Bloom's sex.

"But you knew that," she went on. "The secret is, tonight, I just want this. I want you here in my bed, with me inside you, kissing you," and here she did. "Tonight I'm going to make love with you, and don't tell anypony, because it would ruin my reputation."

Despite the near-overwhelming pleasure as Diamond's thick cock split her, the medial ring now well inside, Apple Bloom nearly laughed at the thought.

"I promise," she giggled, then kissed her deeply. "I think I'm falling in love with you, too," she whispered in Diamond's ear as she broke the kiss, and her chest was warm just at saying it.

Diamond pressed her lips down again, and pressed down harder, finally hilting herself in Apple Bloom. She opened her mouth wide, and pressed the full length of her body against her. Apple Bloom felt like she was trying to get as close to her as possible, and the feeling made her giddy. She wrapped all four of her legs around Diamond, pulling her as close as possible.

"You're not leaving until you fill me up," she whispered, locking the legs. She resumed the kiss, and began clenching with her pussy, winking it with Diamond fully inside it. She was rewarded with a moan against her lips, and clenching the firm shaft felt wonderful for her as well - she could feel every vein on her sensitive flesh every time she tightened her passage.

As their pleasure built, Diamond squirmed against her, trying to rut her properly, but years of farm work had left Bloom the stronger, and she contained her lover completely within herself, clenching around Diamond more and more frequently as her own arousal increased. She could feel the cock head resting at the very end of her passage, knew that soon the flare would extend to seal their mating tight. She shivered and opened her own mouth wide. There was now almost no way to tell whose mouth was whose as they made out desperately.

She felt every inch of her body shivering against Diamond's warm fur. She was so close! The massive shaft inside her filled her mind, and she yearned to feel it unloading inside her. The thought pushed her over the edge. She clenched her whole passage tight as she came, and she felt every subtle movement as Diamond joined her. The head flared out, closing her up, and then she felt Diamond's balls tighten where they rested against her, and felt the contraction move along Diamond's glorious member as the first rope surged up it and, finally, splattered out inside her. She cried out in pleasure and Diamond moaned back, and then it was all a blur of pleasure as more and more flooded into her.

She felt her orgasm beginning to trail off. Oh no you don't, she thought, and pressed her lips back to Diamond's clenching again with redoubled effort, feeling the seed filling her move a little as she did. That feeling alone was enough to bring her over again, and she cried out again as both fillies descended into renewed orgasm, Diamond's magical cock spurting the last great jets into her before vanishing.

Both fillies fell panting to the bed, lying close but saying nothing. Apple Bloom found herself almost nodding off.

"Mmmm, Diamond, that was great," she muttered, "but I'm nearly falling asleep here."

"Me too," Diamond said. "Being the stallion's tiring, even if somepony won't let you move."

Bloom just giggled.

"I sleep pretty late," Diamond said, casually. "An early-rising farmpony could take advantage of me. It would obviously be horrible to wake up full of rough farm cock."

"I'll keep that in mind," Apple Bloom said, and then both drifted off to sleep.